Alice C. Feldman

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our mother, Alice Cotter Feldman, aged 89, on July 15th, 2025 at Calvary Hospital, Bronx, NY. Endearing and tenacious throughout her life, Mom left a long legacy of caring, summed up most recently in her dispatch for us to "Be Kind".

Alice is survived by her husband, Ronald Feldman; her five children Francie Anne Riley (Bill), Scott McGuire (Mary Jo), Michael McGuire (Nancy), Blayne Feldman (Dawn) and Allison McGuire (Maurice LaBonne); her sister, Mary Ann Berlin; eight grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. One granddaughter, Brittany Feldman, predeceased her.

Mom grew up in a time when choices for women were often limited, yet she found ways to carve out her own path, refusing to let circumstance define her. This tenacity would become a defining quality throughout her life. In her early life she was a fearless sailor, growing up at Echo Bay Yacht Club in New Rochelle and sailing joyously up and down Long Island Sound. She was sought after to crew in competitive sailing races, often ensuring their success through a last-minute swift tack that helped her boat across the finish line. Alice had that way about her, quiet confidence, steely nerves, and seeing possibilities where others failed to venture. She even taught her first husband, Bill McGuire, to sail.

In the late 1970's, newly divorced and looking for a way to care for her four children over the summer holiday, Mom became the camp nurse at the local YMCA camp in Greenwich CT. It is there that she met her second husband, Ron and his son Blayne. In true Alice fashion, she transformed the camp nurse role into a broader vision, bringing in peanut butter and jelly so that she could make sandwiches for campers who did not have lunch. Her office, renamed "Alice's Restaurant", became a haven for campers and counselors alike, who sought out her kind and gentle presence even more than the PB&J!

Alice dedicated her professional life to nursing, graduating from Mt Sinai Hospital School of Nursing (RN with distinction) in 1956. Throughout her career as her leadership skills grew, she sought out new models of care delivery, supporting new program development within evolving fields of care, including geriatrics (in the 1970's-80's,) urgent care (in the 1980's) and in vitro fertilization (in the 1990's). Alice brought her keen sense of organization and structure to all of her projects, and supported the training and development of countless nurses and allied health professionals.

Alice modeled academic excellence for her five kids, working full time throughout her career while attaining advanced degrees, each with honors and distinction, including both a Bachelor of Science degree (1979) and a Master of Public Administration (1986) from Pace University. Throughout her career she published frequently on topics related to gerontology and care coordination.

When Alice and Ron retired, they split their time between Alpharetta Georgia and the Florida Keys. Mom loved to be by the water. In Georgia Mom continued her service work through volunteering at local hospitals, multiple committees at the Alpharetta Methodist Church, and she even took up watercolors which created lovely artwork for the family. A breast cancer survivor, in 2004 she co-wrote the book "B.O.O.B.S: A Bunch of Outrageous Breast-Cancer Survivors" with fellow members of her support group. While her dream of being on Oprah one day eluded her, the book helped inspire countless women.

In their later years, Alice and Ron relocated back to Westchester. As a resident at the Wartburg (independent living) and then the Chelsea at Greenburgh (assisted living) mom could often be found helping fellow residents with a kind word, or a helpful suggestion to ease their discomfort. Forever a nurse educator, she could also be found giving targeted feedback to the staff about ways to improve the residents experience as they took on the difficult and essential task of caring for the elderly. Mom wanted everyone to be treated with compassion and dignity. As her final act of service, Mom donated her body to NY Medical College, to support the training of the next generation of providers.

She made her thoughts known to many, and we imagine many folks smiling deeply at their own memories of Mom, with a gentle nod of the head and an appreciation for her imperfect, but brilliant time on this Earth. We, her five children, will carry forward her story-honoring her strength, learning from her faults, and celebrating the love she gave us in her own unique way.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that acts of kindness be performed in her memory, spreading the love and warmth she so freely gave to others.